Toothed applicator



July 5, 1960 cs. w. RUNDLE I 2,943,602

TOOTHED APPLICATOR Original Filed Dec. 20. 1956 INVENTOR GEORGE w. RUNDLE ATTORNEY United States Patent roornun APPLICATOR George W.-Rundle, 14603 S. Vermont Ave.,

Gardeua, Calif.

Substituted for abandoned application Ser. No. 629,621, Dec. 20, 1956. This application Jan. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 786,353

4 Claims. (Cl. 119-156) This invention relates to a toothed applicator and particularly pertains to an applicator having the character of a comb or rake the teeth of which constitute nozzles through which either a liquid or a powdered substance may be ejected under pressure as from a collapsible magazine capable of being manipulated by the hand of an operator to eifect discharge of the materials from the magazine.

An object of the invention is to provide an applicator of the above character which while subject to being designed forvarious uses; is especially suitable for use in applying insecticides to the skin of animals for the destruction of fleas, lice and similar parasitic insects; the device being adapted to be manipulated to effect delivery of the insecticide while being advanced through the hair of an animal with a combing or raking action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction in the applicator teeth whereby advance of the teeth through the hair will be facilitated and whereby spreading of the hair will be effected.

Another object is to provide a construction in the nozzle like teeth whereby materials being discharged therefrom will be directed against the skin and also be directed and spread over the surface of the skin rearwardly of the teeth as the latter are advanced, and whereby clogging of the discharge ends of the teeth will be eliminated.

A further object is to provide an applicator of the above character having the characteristics of a rake in which the head thereof is tubular and embodies a series of spaced hollow applicator teeth opening at their inner ends to the interior of the tubular head and having outwardly and downwardly presented discharge orifices and in which the handle projects in substantially right angular relation to the toothed head and embodies a tubular shank connected and opening to the tubular head and fitted at its outer end with a compressible magazine for effecting discharge of materials therefrom through the applicator teeth, and in which means are provided for regulating the discharge from the magazine and for closing the magazine to discharge when the applicator is not in use.

With the foregoing objects in view together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and as illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the applicator as held in the hand in effecting operation thereof;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the applicator with parts shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged end view of one of the applicator teeth as seen on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings more specifically A indicates generally the applicator head, B denotes a tubular shank on which the head A is carried, and C designates a maga- 2,943,602 Patented July 5, 1 9 60 ice gitudinal bore a closed at its ends. A series of tubular teeth 7 extend from one side of the back 6 and are arranged in a row. The teeth 7 are open at their outer ends and terminate on a common plane and open at their inner ends to the bore a of the tubular back ,6. Each of the teeth 7 constitutes a nozzle through which a liquid or powder may be discharged from the magazine C as will presently be described. V

The shank B connects at its outer end with the back 6 intermediate the ends of the latter withthe bore b of the shank opening to the bore a. The inner end of the shank B terminates in an externally threadednipple 8 detachably engageable with an internally threaded opening 9 in one endof the magazine C. 7

The shank'B is fitted with an adjustable regulating valve D for closing the bore b of the stem B when the applicator is notin use and for varying the capacity of the bore,,the valve D comprising a threaded stem 10 which is screwed into the wall of the shank to extend transversely thereof with its inner end disposed to extend into the bore b according to longitudinal adjustment of the stem to either close the bore or to vary its capacity. The outer end of the valve stem 10 is provided with a finger hold 11 for facilitating manual adjustment thereof. The magazine C is formed with a pliable resilient cylindrical wall 17 whereby it may be compressed to efiect discharge of its contents.

The outer end of the magazine C is fitted with a removable screw threaded plug the body 12 of which is formed with an axial passage 13 leading from the exterior of the plug E to the interior of the magazine C which passage is fitted with a normally closed inwardly opening spring pressed valve 14.

A feature of the invention resides in forming each of the nozzle like teeth 7 with a spreading rib 15 arranged on the inner or front side of the tooth, being the side thereof presented toward the magazine C and in the direction of a raking movement of the applicator which rib extends longitudinally of the tooth throughout the length thereof.

The rib 15 is tapered to impart a wedge-like contour thereto both longitudinally and transversely thereof, the side faces c-d of the rib converging from the body of the tooth and intersecting in acute angular relation to each other in a slightly rounded edge e which leads from the tip of the tooth at an outward inclination to the inner margin of the back 6. By this formation penetration and advance of the teeth 7 during a combing or raking operation is facilitated while a spreading action is imparted on the hair being combed.

Another feature of the invention resides in forming the discharge ends of the teeth 7 with a side aperture 16' which opens on the back side of the tooth opposite the spreading rib 15 and leads from the opening 3 at the end of the tooth whereby materials being discharged from the tooth will be directed from the end thereof and also be directed rearwardly thereof so as to be spread over the skin surfaces as the applicator advances. In order to effect lateral spread of the discharging materials the aperture 16 is formed with outwardly flared side walls 88- In the operation of the invention, the magazine C is charged with the desired insecticide, for which purpose the plug E is detached by unscrewing the threaded body 12 thereof from the open outer end of the magazine and delivering the insecticide to the magazine through such open end. The plug E is then reattached to the magazine and the valve D opened.

The applicator comb A is raked through the hair while the magazine C is caused to collapse and expand bellows fashioned by alternately squeezing and releasing the flexible wall thereof thereby ejecting insecticide from the magazine through the bore 12 of the shank B, bore a of the back 6, and teeth 7 in an obvious fashion the valve D then being opened to a desired extent. During this operation the valve 14 is maintained closed during collapsing of the magazine and opens to admit air to the magazine during expansion thereof.

The invention is also applicable to rakes for the purpose of admixing plant foods or other agents with the soil while raking the latter.

' While a specific embodiment of the invention has been ,shown and described, the invention is not limited to the exact details of constructionset forth, and the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of 'the parts and their formation and arrangement as come v 1. In an applicator of the character described, a back member having a longitudinal bore closed at its ends,

a series of tubular teeth arranged in a row on said back member having open outer ends and having their inner ends open to said bore, said teeth having front and back sides, each of said teeth having on the back side thereof an opening leading from the open outer end thereof, a

tubular shank aflixed to said head intermediate its ends having a bore opening to the bore in said head, and means for delivering through the bores in said shank head and teeth substances to be applied.

2. In an applicator, a magazine having collapsible and expandable walls, a tubular stern on said magazine, a tubular head on said stern, and a series of tubular teeth on said head arranged in a row thereon and having open outer ends; said teeth having front and back sides, said head having a bore opening to the inner ends of said teeth and said stern having a bore leading from said magazine to the bore in said head; each of said teeth being formed with a spreader rib on its front side extending longitudinally thereof and having a discharge opening on the back side thereof opposite said rib and leading from the open end thereof.

3. The structure called for in claim 1 in which the opening on the back sides of said teeth have outwardly fiaredside walls.

4. The structure called for in claim 2 together with a regulating valve on said stem for varying its capacity and for closing said stem to discharge when the applicator is not in use. 

